Yad VaJerusalemhem Volume 77, May 2015 New Exhibition Stars Without a Heaven Children in the Holocaust (pp. 16-17) Yad Vashem Marks 70 Years Since VE Day (pp. 2-5) Holocaust Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Day 2015 The Anguish of Liberation and the Return to Life: 70 Years Since the End of WWII (pp. 6-10) Yad VaJerusalemhem Contents Volume 77, Iyar 5775, May 2015 Yad Vashem Marks 70 Years Since VE Day ■ 2-3 Published by: Yad Vashem Fighting for Freedom ■ 4-5 The Holocaust Martyrs’ and Heroes’ Artifacts from Jewish Soldiers in the Allied Armies Remembrance Authority ■ ■ The Anguish of Separation 5 Children and their Rescuers Leah Goldstein Chairman of the Council: Rabbi Israel Meir Lau Vice Chairmen of the Council: The Anguish of Liberation and Dr. Yitzhak Arad the Return to Life: 70 Years Since Dr. Moshe Kantor ■ On 8 May 2015, the world marked the 70th the End of WWII ■ 6 Prof. Elie Wiesel The Central Theme for Holocaust Martyrs’ and anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day – the Chairman of the Directorate: Avner Shalev Heroes’ Remembrance Day 2015 day on which Nazi Germany capitulated and Director General: Dorit Novak victory was celebrated by the Allied armies Head of the International Institute for Holocaust Torchlighters 2015 ■ 7 and millions of people worldwide. Amongst Research and Incumbent, John Najmann Chair Holocaust Remembrance Day 2015 ■ 8-9 the Allied forces, including the US, Russia, Great for Holocaust Studies: Prof. Dan Michman Britain, Canada and South Africa, as well as the Chief Historian: Prof. Dina Porat Education ■ 10-13 Polish Army and the Jewish Brigade, were some Academic Advisor: Educational Programs for Holocaust Remembrance Prof. Yehuda Bauer 1.5 million Jewish fighters and military personnel Day Focus on the Anguish of Liberation and the who served on all fronts in Europe and the Pacific. Members of the Yad Vashem Directorate: ■ 10 Yossi Ahimeir, Michal Cohen, Return to Life In many cases, the percentage of Jews fighting Matityahu Drobles, Abraham Duvdevani, EU Delegation Seeks Further Cooperation ■ 11 was greater than the percentage of Jews in that Prof. Boleslaw (Bolek) Goldman, country’s population. Vera H. Golovensky, Moshe Ha-Elion, Furthering Holocaust Education in Italy ■ 11 Adv. Shlomit Kasirer, Yossi Katribas, A state ceremony marking 70 years since the Yehiel Leket, Effi Shtensler, Baruch Shub, Christian Leaders Enrich Their Knowledge end of the war was held on 7 May by the Museum of Dalit Stauber, Dr. Zehava Tanne, of the Holocaust ■ 11 the Jewish Solider in WWII at the “Yad Lashiryon” Adv. Shoshana Weinshall, Dudi Zilbershlag Armored Corps Memorial at Latrun – located in New Schools Join ICHEIC Partner Network ■ 11 THE MAGAZINE central Israel – in cooperation with Yad Vashem. Graduate Spotlight ■ 12 Israel’s President Reuven Rivlin, Prime Minister Editor-in-Chief: Iris Rosenberg Delfina Casalderrey, Portugal Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Managing Editor: Leah Goldstein Russian-Speaking Na'ale Students Connect Moshe Yaalon addressed some 6,000 attendees, Editorial Board: to the Past ■ 12 Yifat Bachrach-Ron Deborah Berman Youth Movement Congress Marks Ten Years ■ 13 Marisa Fine Dana Porath Holocaust Remembrance Day 2015 – Susan Weisberg Educational Materials ■ 13 Cynthia Wroclawski Estee Yaari Seminar for Community Leaders from Latin-America, Editorial Coordinator: Lilach Tamir-Itach Spain and Portugal ■ 13 Language Editor: Leah Goldstein “I Have Survived, I Have Lost Everything” ■ 14 Proofreader: Ezra Olman First Letters after Liberation Translated by: Dr. Juliana Brown, James Joseph Mclntosh “I Cried Once More When I Got Your Letter” ■ 15 ■ Yad Vashem Chairman Avner Shalev (left) and Assisted by: Alexander Avram, The Story of Brothers Henry and Menni Stern Chairman of the Association for Establishing the Shaya Ben Yehuda, Inbal Kvity Ben-Dov, Museum of the Jewish Soldier in WWII Maj. Gen (Res.) New Exhibition ■ 16-17 Ayala Peretz, Amanda Smulowitz, Haim Erez light the memorial torch at the ceremony. Martin Sykes-Haas Stars Without a Heaven: including WWII veterans, survivors, students and Photography: Yossi Ben-David, Sarit Bruno, Children in the Holocaust Isaac Harari youth group members. During the ceremony, the Yad Vashem Online ■ 18 Production: Ahva Printing Press Company Ltd. memorial torch was lit by Yad Vashem Chairman The Death March to Volary Avner Shalev and Chairman of the Association Design: Stephanie & Ruti Design ■ 19 for Establishing the Museum of the Jewish Soldier This magazine was published with the “We Believed We Were the Only Ones” assistance of The Azrieli Group. Teacher from Moscow Discovers Family in Israel in WWII Maj. Gen. (Res.) Haim Erez. In the lead-up to VE Day 2015, Yad Vashem News ■ 20-24 ISSN 0793-7199 launched an online exhibition, “Fighting for ©Articles appearing in this issue may be reprinted Friends Worldwide ■ 25-31 Freedom,” featuring original artifacts, photographs with proper acknowledgement. The International Institute for Holocaust and letters housed at Yad Vashem that belonged to Yad Vashem’s activities are supported by Research: Publications ■ 32 Jewish soldiers fighting in the Allied Forces (see the Ministry of Education pp. 4-5). The exhibition is generously supported by the Genesis Philanthropy Group. and the Claims Conference On 6 May, a symposium marking VE Day was held at Yad Vashem’s International Institute for ■ On the cover: Dolls from the new exhibition, "Stars Without a Heaven: Children in the Holocaust Research. Speakers at the symposium 2 Holocaust" (pp. 16-17) included Prof. Shlomo Avineri of the Hebrew Yad Vashem Marks 70 Years Since VE Day by the Germans, or declared missing during the battles defending Poland – 11,000 alone in the defense of Warsaw. Thousands of Jews later served in various Polish armies fighting with the Allies against the Germans. About 30,000 Jews served in the British Army in 1939-1946, some in special units of Jews from Photograph: Yaron Harel Yaron Photograph: Mandatory Palestine, such as the Jewish Brigade, which was formed in 1944 and helped liberate Italy in 1945. The Brigade was composed of 5,000 soldiers. The Zionist flag was chosen as its banner — making it not the first Jewish unit to fight in the war, but the first one to be recognized as representing the Jewish people. At the war’s end, members of the Jewish Brigade helped prepare Displaced Persons for “illegal” immigration to Mandatory Palestine (see “New Online Exhibition," below). The British disbanded the Jewish Brigade in July 1946. New Online Research ■ State ceremony marking 70 years since VE Day at the Armored Corps Memorial at Latrun Project: Jews in the University of Jerusalem, Yad Vashem researcher Union; approximately 120,000 were killed in Red Army, 1941–1945 Dr. Joel Zisenwine and former Deputy Director combat and in the line of duty, and the Germans ■ of the Yad Vashem Museums Division and murdered 80,000 as prisoners of war. More than From 1941 to 1945, between 350,000 Senior Art Curator Yehudit Shendar. 160,000 Jewish Red Army fighters, at all levels and 500,000 Jews served in various roles Approximately 550,000 Jewish soldiers of command, earned citations, with over 150 in the Red Army. The accounts of 100 of fought in the US Armed Forces during WWII. designated “Heroes of the Soviet Union”— the these men and women are included in a Some 10,000 were killed in combat, and more highest honor awarded to soldiers in the Red Army special online project conducted by the than 36,000 received citations. Many Jewish (see “New Online Research Project," right). International Institute’s Center for Research soldiers took part in liberating the camps. In the Polish army, formed to resist the German on the History of Soviet Jews during the From 1941-1945, some 500,000 Jewish invasion, there were approximately 100,000 Jews. Holocaust. The project, viewable on Yad soldiers fought in the Red Army of the Soviet Some 30,000 Jews fell in battle, were taken captive Vashem’s website, highlights those who received formal recognition, primarily as “Heroes of the Soviet Union,” for their New Online Exhibition: military achievements. These were officers DP Camps and Hachsharot in Italy after the War and privates, tank crew members and pilots, translators, doctors and nurses – men and th ■ Before the end of WWII and in its exhibition marking the 70 anniversary of women of all ages. The stories tell about immediate aftermath, Holocaust survivors the victory over Nazi Germany tells the story their prewar experiences as members of encountered soldiers from Eretz Israel of some 70,000 survivors who lived in Italy the intelligentsia, their professional careers serving with the British Army and Yishuv during 1945-1951, in over 30 DP camps and and – for those who survived the war – their emissaries on Italian soil. Italy became a approximately 45 kibbutzim and hachsharot experiences of postwar life, allowing for a main waystation on the survivors’ journey (pioneer training collectives). While there, better understanding of the effect the war to Eretz Israel, initially in the Displaced the survivors began the process of returning had on Jewish Red Army personnel and Persons (DP) camps where they stayed, to life in all areas of religion, culture and casting light on their Jewish identity and and then as a point of departure for the education, while coping with the enormity of their reactions to the Holocaust. ships carrying immigrants – both legal their loss. Some 50,000 survivors who lived The “Jews in the Red Army, 1941-1945” and illegal – to the Holy Land. Through in the camps in Italy went on to immigrate online research project is generously supported survivor testimony, original artifacts and to Eretz Israel. by the Blavatnik Family Foundation. photographs and related texts, a new online 3 70 Years Since VE Day Fighting for Freedom Artifacts from Jewish Soldiers in the Allied Armies Sara Shor ■ Assortment of items belonging to Jewish soldiers who fought with the Allies during WWII.